Context Clues

- are words, phrases, and sentences that

surround an unfamiliar word and help you
recognize the meaning of an unknown word
1. Synonyms - used when the text has words or
phrases that ae similar in meaning to the unknown
word
Example:
The narrator in the poem was euphoric at his son's
victory, for he cried out triumphantly when the boy
came home.
euphoric
- victorious; triumphant; very happy and excited
Other Examples:

a. This situation is a conundrum - a puzzle.

conundrum
- a confusing or a difficult situation
b. Humpty Dumpty took great pleasure in
obfuscating the poem's meaning to Alice. His
explanations about the poem were confusing
and complicated.
obfuscating
- making more difficult to understand;
confusing
c. We are planning a picnic for today. It is
sunny and warm outside. It will be an idyllic
day - just perfect for a picnic.

idyllic
- perfect; very peaceful, happy, and enjoyable
2. Antonyms - words that reveal the opposite meaning
in relation to the unknown word

Example:
Although Mary was willing to play in the snow,
Jack was reluctant because he was so cold.
reluctant
- not willing to do something
a. Marty is gregarious, not like his brother
who is quiet and shy.

gregarious
- sociable; outgoing; extrovert
b. The lanky dog was not fat, even though he
ate a lot.

lanky

- skinny
c. The rich woman gave a paltry sum to the
charity even though she was able to give
much more.
paltry
-very small or too small in amount
3. Examples - are specific details in a text that are
used to clarify the meaning of a word
Example:
Projectiles include those items that are shot forward
such as a cannon shell, bullet, or rocket.
projectiles
- things (such as bullet or rocket) that are shot from
weapon
a. Famous conquistadors include Cortes, who
conquered Aztec Mexico and Pizarro, who
conquered Inca Peru.

conquistadors
- conquerors; ones that take control of
(a country or city) through the use of force
b. A sleuth, such as Sherlock Holmes, can be
very helpful in solving crimes.

sleuth
- detective
- someone who looks for information to solve
crimes
c. Precipitation, such as rain and snow, falls
from the sky.

precipitation
- water that falls to the ground (such as rain
and snow)
4. Definition - is usually signaled by a form of the
verb to be (am, is, are, was, were) or by commas or
dashes
Example:
The prisoner was in a state of wrath—a feeling of
intense anger.
wrath
- extreme anger
a. To shun someone is to have nothing to do
with that person.

shun
- to avoid deliberately
b. He seemed to be ill, but it was merely a
ruse, that is, a clever trick to deceive us.
ruse
- a trick or act that is used to fool someone
- a wily subterfuge
- deception
c. Sedentary individuals, people who are not
very active, often have diminished health.
sedentary
- not doing or involving much physical
activity
5. Explanation - words or phrases that explain the
unfamiliar word's meaning

Example:
An evanescent ring surrounded the moon as it rose.
It was there for a moment, and then it disappeared.
evanescent
- lasting a very short time; brief; momentary
a. Elis is a blithe young girl. She always
greets everyone with a smile.

blithe
- cheerful; happy, lighthearted
b. Katie appeared infallible in math class
because she had never gotten a problem
wrong.
infallible
- unerring;
- unfailing
- not capable of being wrong
c. The tornado annihilated the whole town to
the point that nothing was left standing.

annihilated
- destroyed; eradicated; exterminated;
abolished
6. Cause-and-Effect or Reason-Result Clue - is a
type of context clue that explains the reason and the
result of an event or action. Words like because, since,
therefore, thus, so, etc. may signal context clues.
Example:
The government has implemented the community
quarantine because experts want to stop or slow down
the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
*The word in bold is the difficult term and the underlined words
are the effect or result.
7. Comparison or Sameness Clue - is a type of
context clue that presents the similarities in meaning or
contexts. Words used are like, as, similar to, in the
same way, likewise, resembling, too and also.
Examples:
I love the palate of pasta like my brother who loves the
taste of pansit.
Jonna is fond of mountain escapade the same way with
Patrick who goes on beach adventure.
*The words in bold are the difficult terms and the underlined
words are the comparing or similar terms.
8. Inference or General Text Clue - is a type of
context clue that provides the meaning of unfamiliar
words that can be inferred or guessed from the
description of the situation. The author provides non-
specific clues, often spread over the sentence or
number of sentence.
Examples:
I wish I had earplugs to avoid monkey’s vociferous
noise.
*The words in bold are the difficult terms and the underlined
words are the general text clues.
 Thank you!
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